Ambition
Prologue A hiss came from a shrub. The white tom looked to his side. Perhaps it was the stream, he though but he knew it couldn't be true. "Hello?" His call echoed through the eerily dark forest. Nothing replied. The white tom began to pad again. He dashed down the ravine and into a small frozen over stream. Ice cold water splashed on his face and the white tom jumped back bumping right into a ginger and brown tom, who was hiding in the shadows of the ravine. "Brookwater!" the white tom exclaimed as the ginger and brown tom snarled and pinned the white tom down. "Wh-why are you doing this?" the white tom choked out as the ginger tom pressed his paws into the white tom's neck. "Your time is over Whitestep," The ginger and brown tom hissed and slide out his long claws into Whitestep's throat. "You-you will p-pay!" Whitestep managed to mutter before he made a huge choking sound and lay still. The brown and ginger tom got off of Whitestep washed his blood-stained paws in the ice-cold stream, before looking around with his innocent looking grey eyes. He gave Whitestep's body one more look and dashed up the ravine. Chapter One Wolfheart padded up to the Highledge. Amberstar had just called a clan meeting. "Cats of ShadowClan you have probably already heard that we found Whitestep's body. It was found along the ravine stream." Gasps of horror and confusion came from the clan. "B-but th-that would mean a ShadowClan cat murdered him!" Caveclaw blurted out. Amberstar nodded slowly. "Or we could have other clan cats sneaking in right through our noses," Amberstar meowed and that seemed to stop the whispering ad muttering for a while. "My new deputy will be Ravenswoop! I want to search patrols aranged now!" Amberstar mewed and she jumped down the Highledge. Wolfheart ripped the grass beneath her with her claws. She wanted to be deputy. She had mentored one apprentice. She caught Caveclaw's eye and she knew her sister was thinking the same thing. Her mother Lightsong padded over. Her shining white fur was perfectly groomed. Wolfheart wished she looked like her mother. Her mother was by far the prettiest she-cat in ShadowClan while Wolfheart was stuck with her long shaggy black fur and dull brown eyes. "Your time will come my daughters," Lightsong meowed, her voice tingly and calm. Wolfheart looked behind her to see her sister, Caveclaw. "Why must I wait so long?" Caveclaw complained her blue eyes flashing in the rising moonlight. Lightsong flicked her tail and padded over to Wolfheart's father, Brookwater. "Our kits are ambitious," she murmured loud enough for Wolfheart to hear. Brookwater purred, though his eyes were troubled. As the moon rose higher in the sky Lightsong looked more like a StarClan cat. Her silver fur practically glowed and her wide, light blue stare was petrifying. Suddenly Wolfheart felt hot breath on her tail and whipped around to see her brother, Foreststorm glaring at her mother his blind brown eyes staring blankly ahead. "What about me? I will never become deputy!" he hissed and only Wolfheart over-heard. Foreststorm had decided to try to become a warrior though he was terrible at it. Every cat knew that his path was to become a medicine cat, like the hero Jayfeather. Caveclaw came out of the bramble tangled medicine cat den. "Fallowpelt says I am fit to return as a warrior, now!" she announced happily, while spinning around, her light ginger striped tail whisking around her. "Wonderful, Caveclaw. I will rest now," Lightsong mewed and headed to the warrior's den. Wolfheart knew she should follow but she needed to ask Caveclaw something. "Caveclaw, Can you walk with me?" Wolfheart asked her sister. Caveclaw glanced at Wolfheart and hurried to her side. "I was going to ask you the same," Caveclaw whispered. Wolfheart and Caveclaw squeezed out of the camp entrace and started off to towards the lake. "I don't think Ravenswoop should have become deputy!" Wolfheart started off her tail flicking with irritation. Caveclaw nodded and Wolfheart knew she was trying to figure out what to say. "I think-" Caveclaw started her voice barley above a whisper, "-we should take him down." Chapter Two Like shadows the she-cats moved through the forest unnoticed. The bright morning sun was rising and it made it harder for the sisters to travel. Soon they reached a clearing where Ravenswoop and his patrol of Redpelt, Mothpaw and Pinenose were trying to catch prey. "Look, Ravenswoop, I just caught a little mouse!" Mothpaw exclaimed. Mothpaw was going to be named a warrior anyday now. It was bad luck that she wouldn't be able to become a queen. Mothpaw was always mooning over Ravenswoop when her mentor had been Redpelt. "Ravenswoop, there is fox scent over here!" Caveclaw yowled. Ravenswoop dashed across the clearing, Pinenose, Mothpaw and Redpelt following. "You stay behind," Ravenswoop ordered his patrol and dashed to Caveclaw. Wolfheart fidgeted a little in her hiding place under a prickly holly bush. "This way," Caveclaw's voice as getting closer. Soon Wolfheart could see Ravenswoop's fear filled blue eyes glancing around the forest. At that moment Wolfheart lunged out of the bushes and dragged Ravenswoop's lithe black body to her hiding place. Caveclaw was soon next to her fighting to keep Ravenswoop quiet as Wolfheart delivered the killing bite to the neck. "Ravenswoop?" Mothpaw's voice was near. Wolfheart glanced at Caveclaw, this was her time. Wolfheart and Caveclaw both knew that there could only be one deputy not two. Caveclaw imediantly leaped at Wolfheart making Wolfheart tumble down the hill. Caveclaw followed, her eyes unreadable. Wolfheart hoisted herself up and shook herself off. She quickly resumed her battle position and braced herself for Caveclaw's next attack. Wolfheart knew that this was what she wanted. She wanted to become deputy so much she was sure she was willing to kill off her own sister. Her mother had always said to get rid of competition. Caveclaw lunged at Wolfheart her paws outstretched to thier full length. She has long forelegs but weak backlegs! ''Wolfheart reminded herself of the training she had taken with Caveclaw when they were apprentices. She remembered training her apprentice, Oakstripe with Caveclaw's apprentice, Owlwing. They were such a good team. Wolfheart and Caveclaw would train their aprentices together. They use to do almost everything together... Wolfheart shook away the thoughts quickly and let Lightsong's words sink into her mind. ''When you want something, do anything for it! Make all the sacrifices you need to get what you want, that is how you can be truly happy. Wolfheart gave Caveclaw's backlegs and huge shove and it sent Caveclaw into a huge mesh of brambles and ivy. Caveclaw was untanlging herself for the mess of brambles that Wolfheart had just pushed her into. Her vision seemed to be narrow now, all she could see was Caveclaw struggling and helpless and her victor drawing near. Already, she could hear Amberstar's words announcing her as deputy, ringing in her ears. Wolfheart leaped at Caveclaw and slashed at her exposed ginger neck. "Stop," Caveclaw pleaded as she fell to the spiky bramble ground. Her breath grew more shallow and Wolfheart couldn't help but skip for joy. "Goodbye, sister," Wolfheart cooed and pressed her claws into Caveclaw's neck trying to make her feel more pain. Wolfheart's vision opened up and she was rid of the trace that made her so ambitious. I just killed my sister. '' Wolfheart didn't want to smell and see her dead sister anymore so she quickly found a puddle from a few days of rain and rinsed her bloody paws in it before padded home. On the way she heard the screeches and yowls of dread and grief from the hollow. They were mourning for Ravenswoop. Chapter three "Did you hear of Ravenswoop's death?" Lightsong asked as Wolfheart entered the near silent camp. The late morning sun was fading behind the tree tops. Not that there was much sun, the clouds covered most of the darkening sky. Wolfheart twitched her tail. ''Would she lie to her mother? '' "Oh, no! Ravenswoop's dead?" Wolfheart meowed in disbelief. Lightsong looked as if she wasn't tricked though. "Amberstar will need to pick a new deputy before the last ones have been buried," Fallowpelt rasped her old eyes troubled. Fallowpelt was starting to go a little mad. She knew so many secrets and she suffered from so much pain, it seemed to finally be getting to her. Lightsong nodded and the three cats stood in silence for a long while before Sunfire gasped, "Look!" Sunfire pawed at a shining white flower petal that had fluttered into the Medicine Cat den. Suddenly the clouds cleared from a spot in the sky and the slowly ascending moon shone through the dark grey clouds. The light caught the the shining white petal and it shone even more, looking like a star that had fallen from the sky. Wolfheart couldn't help but gasping, it was the most beautiful thing she had seen. "It's a sign!" Fallowpelt hissed and her eyes grew wide. Lightsong pawed at the flower petal. At that moment the moon's light was shielded by the clouds, once again. Fallowpelt looked up. "It is you, Lightsong," She whispered, her eyes still wide. Lightsong looked up with her innocent blue eyes. "What about me?" Wolfheart sat down beneath the high-ledge. Fallowpelt had reported the events that had happened in the Medicine Cat den. "Fallowpelt has told me that our new deputy has been picked by StarClan. Our new deputy will be Lightsong," Amberstar meowed her voice ringing through the clearing. "What? She can't even hurt a flea if she tried, let alone squish it!" someone muttered from the back of the crowd. Others just stomped off disappointed that they were not chosen to be deputy. Brookwater would have probably been chosen if it weren't for the sign. Wolfheart couldn't help but flex her claws. Did she kill her sister for nothing? Would she have to kill her mother, now? Wolfheart padded up to her mother and gave her a lick. "Congratulations, Lightsong," Wolfheart murmured and tried to get rid of the jealousy that was in her belly. Brookwater was behind Wolfheart and was purring loudly. "My, my who would have thought," he mewed and touched Lightsong's ear with his tail lightly. Lightsong was speechless for a while. Brookwater was mooning over Lightsong like they were young warriors again. "Shall we celebrate?" Brookwater soon asked, leading Lightsong over to the fresh-kill pile. "No, you shall not," Foreststorm's shallow voice suprised Wolfheart. "What is so bad?" Wolfheart blurted out to Foreststorm. Foreststorm blinked his blind brown gaze at Wolfheart and mewed, "You don't know? Lightsong has been wanting this for so long. I can feel the happiness rolling off of her like huge waves in a storm. But it's mixed with another feeling..." Wolfheart blinked, could Foreststorm really tell all these things? If so then could he tell the jealousy feeling that hung around Wolfheart? Foreststorm shook his head and went to sit on the opposite side of the camp. Wolfheart decided to join him, she needed answers and it seemed, at the moment, Foreststorm had them. Wolfheart set her tail lightly on Foreststorm's shoulder to steady him as he ate. "I know you want answers," Foreststorm mumbled from his fresh-kill. "But I'm not giving them to you." Wolfheart sighed but didn't press him. For once she felt pity for her blind brother but it soon vanished as Lightsong padded over. "I think an evening walk will do me good," she mewed, her gaze turning as sharp as a shard of ice as she spotted Wolfheart with Foreststorm. "Yes, I'll come," Wolfheart mewed, quickly, understanding Lightsong wanted Wolfheart away from Foreststorm. ''She knows that Foreststorm senses her secrets and wants me to not know them... Lightsong waved her tail to Brookwater, telling him to follow. Brookwater nodded and padded after Lightsong his eyes still dreamy, but mixed with... with anger? "Are we going for a walk?" he asked, happily. Lightsong nodded and took the lead as the three padded out of camp. The forest always scared Wolfheart when it was dark. She always thought she might have seen something move or heard some eerie sound. Suddenly Wolfheart saw a shadow move and this time she was sure of it. Then a huge streak of red appreared from the brambles and knocked Brookwater off of his paws. Wolfheart's gasp was lost in another meow, "Shall I kill him?" Chapter Four "Redpelt, what are you doing here?" Lightsong's astonished mew came from ahead of Wolfheart. Wolfheart's vision adjusted and she saw the red fur of Redpelt on her father. Redpelt looked up. "I thought you wanted him-" Redpelt broke off as he caught sight of Wolfheart's shaggy black fur that practicly looked like just a shadow in the forest. Lightsong shook her head and let out a soft growl. "Get off of him, now!" Redpelt scurried off his eyes wide with fear. Lightsong bent over Brookwater, looking like she would help him off of the muddy ground. Her eyes suddenly filled up with an emotion Wolfheart thought her mother never had, hate. She suddenly flexed her claws and hit Brookwater right in the cheek. Brookwater squealed like a little kit and fell back to the ground. "You thought I would help you? Maybe I would have if you hadn't kept things from me," Lightsong snarled, her eyes still full of pure hatred. “I know that you love Roseflower more than you ever did me. You think your good at hiding things? I have hid more things than you have,” Lightsong mewed as she stepped closer to Redpelt. Wolfheart gasped and looked up at the sky as a bolt of lightning crossed the dark cloud filled sky. A great storm was brewing, one both here on the ground and up in the sky. Lightsong continued after a moment, "I set it all up, my dear! I made you jealous of that tom, Dovefur. You remember Dovefur? The one that you killed? He knew to much of my plan, so I got you to do my dirty work." Shock rippled over Wolfheart like a huge wave of water. Brookwater murdered a cat? How could my innocent father do that? Brookwater's eyes were full of horror and he opened his mouth but nothing came out. Lightsong turned to Wolfheart, her eyes full of her true self, the sly, evil she-cat. "Who do you think murdered Whitestep? Who wanted to be deputy, originally?" Lightsong's eyes shifted over to Brookwater, telling Wolfheart that Brookwater was Whitestep's killer. Still, both Wolfheart and Brookwater were speechless. They still couldn't believe that the innocent-looking, dainty she-cat was capable of such terrible things. Lightsong went on, “I also raised our daughters well. I made them jealous of each other, each wanting to be deputy. Leading them to kill the new deputy which happened to be Ravenswoop, whom you know I hate. Oh, Brookwater I have planned this all.” Wolfheart looked down. She had murdered Ravenswoop. Then she had murdered her sister. She was hungry for power. It was all because of her evil mother. “Why, why do you want to destroy ShadowClan?” Brookwater managed to meow. Lightsong smirked. “You are such a fool, Brookwater! Why would I want to destroy my clan? I want to lead it, fool.” Redpelt smiled, thinly. “We will lead the clans,” He mewed, his tail tip resting on Lightsong's shoulder. Lightsong quickly shook it off with annoyance. Anger was bubbling up inside of Wolfheart, slowly she crept away into the shadows on the pines. "I still think, we should put an end to Brookwater," Redpelt meow sounded hungry for flesh beneath his claws. "Of course, fool, we can't let them get away with all this information!" Lightsong mewed, angrily. Wolfheart could tell that Lightsong had rapped Redpelt in lies. She would never let Redpelt rule beside her, she would kill him when he became of no use. Redpelt also must think that he would become Lightsong's mate. Many toms fell for her beauty. Suddenly Wolfheart heard a small shriek and peered over to see her father dead. The anger started to rise more. "Where is Wolfheart? We can't let her escape!" Lightsong mewed sounding distraught. Oh don't worry, mother, I'm not going away just yet! Wolfheart thought bitterly and launched herself out of the pines. Anger blinded her, anger pointed to her mother. She made me murder, she made me like this! Wolfheart reminded herself over and over again. As Wolfheart broke through the pines, heading straight towards Lightsong, Redpelt leaped in the way of the two. "I shall not let you harm her!" He yowled as Wolfheart plunged her claws blindly into his reddish brown fur. Wolfheart knew she was attacking Redpelt but she was sure she hated him too, so she bite down hard on his neck, that was only exposed for a short second, while he thrashed in Wolfheart's unstable grip. There was a ''thud ''and Wolfheart knew that she would never have to see his sly ugly face anymore. "Well he was getting boring," Lightsong murmured her eyes full of-of, was that pride? "Come with me, we can triumph over the clans, feed your ambitions!" Lightsong mewed her eyes full of pride and Wolfheart wasn't sure it was real. "An-and you'd kill me when I am of no use," Wolfheart meowed grimly, keeping her distance. Lightsong couldn't help but smiling. "Yes, I did do that once or twice-" Lightsong admitted, "-but you are my daughter, I can't ignore that. I know Brookwater was my mate, but it was...different." ''She made me murder, she made me like ''this! Wolfheart's words found themselves back in Wolfheart's head. "No." "No?" Lightsong sounded a little hurt but more angry. Lightsong looked down at her paws as she tore up the grass. Wolfheart knew what she would do, she would let ShadowClan live in peace for a while. She lunged at her enemy, taking Lightsong by surprise. Lightsong yowled and chomped into fur, making Wolfheart flinch. Lightsong went in to slash at Wolfheart, but she ducked and thrust her paws into Lightsong's chest hard, sending her flying. Wolfheart slashed into Lightsong's back, until suddenly Lightsong flipped her over. As Lightsong lunged for her she slipped on the muddy ground and lost concentration for an instant. At that moment Wolfheart leaped and pinned Lightsong down. Wolfheart admitted that if she hadn't striked when she did, she would be at her mother's powerful mercy. "I," Wolfheart began, staring deep into Lightsong's pleading blue gaze. Her light blue eyes flecked with cloudy white, Wolfheart would remember well. "I end this misery with you." Epilogue That night, ShadowClan found another four dead cats on their territory, Lightsong, Brookwater, Redpelt and Caveclaw. When Wolfheart failed to return, ShadowClan guessed that Wolfheart was behind it all and placed her name as the murderer of not only the four but Whitestep and Ravenswoop as well. They thought Wolfheart was cowardly and ran away after murdering many. Foreststorm was the only cat in ShadowClan that knew what had happened, though he kept it to himself for as long as he lived. When Wolfheart murdered Lightsong, ShadowClan's traitor, she knew she couldn't go back to ShadowClan so she fled to the Twoleg place and became a rogue, one that was destined to lead a band of rogues to try to over-power the final remains of BloodClan. Wolfheart changed her name to "Wolf" and after succeeding in finishing off BloodClan, dissapeared. So it's up to you to decide, Was Wolfheart a hero or killer? Category:Littlewillow's Fanfic Category:Fanfiction